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The next phase of the WNBA’s ambitious expansion plan is coming with the arrival of two new teams in 2026: The Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire.
Adding two teams in the same season means double the demand for players from existing rosters in the upcoming Expansion Draft, putting even more weight on each team’s decision-making on who to protect. A doubled Expansion Draft also adds a new layer on what is shaping up to be the most chaotic offseason in WNBA history, with CBA negotiations, a possible lockout, and a massive free agent class on the horizon.
For the Golden State Valkyries, it means that the roster they just put together in their own Expansion Draft just a season ago will have to be parted. For Golden State guard Kate Martin, it also means there’s a chance that she could join her third franchise in three seasons, and second via expansion.
When a new Expansion Draft is set to happen in an offseason, each existing team usually submits a list of its rostered players to the league at the end of the previous season, with up to six players designated as “protected players” that will be unavailable for selection by the new teams.
Teams are able to protect players set to be unrestricted free agents this offseason, which will be close to the entire roster for most teams.
Martin came to the Valkyries in their own Expansion Draft last offseason after Martin was left unprotected by the Las Vegas Aces, the team that drafted her. It’s likely that history will repeat itself this offseason, and Martin could then find herself in either Portland or Toronto in 2026.
The prime targets for protection by the Valkyries would be key pieces like 2025 MIP Veronica Burton, Kayla Thornton, and Janelle Salaun, who was selected to the 2025 All-Rookie team.
Following those top three, other key pieces like Cecilia Zandalasini, Carla Leite, and Justye Jocyte, the Valkyries’ first-round draft pick from 2025, who has yet to debut in the WNBA, as she was playing overseas for Lithuania this past season.
That leaves Martin on the outside. Even if those six weren’t protected, fringe options like Illiana Rupert, who plays a valuable position at center, would likely take priority.
However, Martin would still be an attractive candidate for one of the two new teams. Martin experienced career-highs in a number of categories this season, and she is still on her rookie contract, giving a potential new team increased salary cap flexibility.
Any number of things could happen this offseason, but one of them could be the end of the “Golden Kate” era.
